March 2013

March 27, 2013

Good news for motorists in southwest Fort Worth: Two additional lanes opened Wednesday on Hulen Street, as officials continued to make progress on the Chisholm Trail Parkway project.

There are now three northbound lanes and two southbound lanes crossing the Hulen Street bridge over the Union Pacific Railroad's Davidson Yard, said Michael Rey, spokesman for the North Texas Tollway Authority.

The entire, six-lane bridge is scheduled to open during the summer - and a new walkway will be available for pedestrians or cyclists.

The additional lanes should provide lots of extra breathing room for motorists, who have dealt with long lines and narrow lanes on the Hulen Street bridge for two years.

"There is still some fencing, and the demolition of the older bridge, but it's a lot better than it has been," Rey said, "They're still doing some final column demolition."

Also re-opening are a ramp from southbound Hulen Street to westbound Vickery Boulevard, and the eastbound right lane of Vickery Boulevard.

Chisholm Trail Parkway is a planned 28-mile toll road from Interstate 30 near downtown Fort Worth to U.s. 67 in Cleburne. It is scheduled to open in 2014. The North Texas Tollway Authority is the lead agency on the project, and the Texas Department of Transportation is a partner.

Stadler Rail officials are in North Texas this week making their pitch to the Fort Worth Transportation Authority, which is planning to build a 37-mile TEX Rail commuter line from southwest Fort Worth to Grapevine and DFW Airport.

March 26, 2013

Tarrant County will continue to wield its influence in statewide transportation issues.

Arlington businessman Victor Vandergriff has been appointed by Gov. Rick Perry to the Texas Transportation Commission, the five-member body that oversees the Texas Department of Transportation. Vandergriff will serve a six-year term expiring in 2019.

Vandergriff replaces Bill Meadows, a former Fort Worth councilman who has served on the state commission since 2008. Meadows' term expired in February, although as is common practice Meadows has remained on the board until a replacement could be found.

Vandergriff's appointment is subject to state Senate confirmation, so the actual switch may not occur until April.

Perry also announced on Tuesday that he would reappoint another state transportation commission member, Jeff Austin III of Tyler.

Vandergriff recently stepped down from a long tenure on the North Texas Tollway Authority board, amid rumors that he would run for Arlington mayor - a position he eventually opted not to pursue. Vandergriff also currently serves as chair of the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, but Vandergriff said he would resign that position if confirmed for the transportation commission. State law won't allow him to serve on two state agency boards.

At the tollway authority, Vandergriff was instrumental in many key projects, including the planned extension of Texas 360 from Arlington to Mansfield.

"I haven't served on the transportation commission so I don't pretend to know the ins and outs, but I am certainly familiar with the process and working with the commission for so many years," Vandergriff said in a phone interview. "In five and a half years with NTTA we did a lot of projects together. I don't believe I have that steep of a learning curve as a lot of people."

March 19, 2013

Susan Geissler was in the shower Monday night when a loud boom nearly knocked her to the floor.
Later, she found out the blast was the result of a planned demolition nearly three miles away. The Texas Department of Transportation on Monday night demolished the old Weatherford Street bridge on the eastern edge of downtown Fort Worth – creating a blast that shook windows and rattled nerves as far away as Arlington.

“This whole bridge blowing up business would have been a good thing to know before I got into the shower,” Geissler, who lives in the historic Fairmount area southwest of downtown, posted on her Facebook page. “I thought the world was ending and I was going into it without any clothes on. Which is totally something that would happen to me.”

Reached Tuesday by phone, Geissler, owner of Manifesto Marketing, added that if she had known about the planned demolition she would have tried to get close to the old bridge site and watch it. Geissler said she watched the 2006 implosion of the Landmark Tower downtown.

But officials at the transportation department acknowledged that they purposefully kept the demolition of the Weatherford Street bridge a bit on the down-low, to avoid attracting gawkers to the blast site.
As a result, many residents not only in Fort Worth’s city center, but also east Fort Worth and Arlington, were stunned by the noise and vibration of the blast, which occurred about 10:20 p.m.

Despite the jolt to the community, the demolition was considered a success, transportation department officials said. On Tuesday afternoon, workers were still removing debris, but most roads on the east side of downtown were open to traffic. Only Gilvin Street directly below the bridge site remained closed to through traffic.

“The amount of explosives used was the proper amount to get the job done,” said transportation department spokesman Val Lopez. “The whole point of the exercise was to demolish the old bridge without damaging the new bridge. Demolishing it using traditional methods like giant jack hammers actually would have exposed it to additional damage by debris.”

The agency and its contractors also took into account variables such as weather, Lopez said.
“Lots of factors go into how far sound travels,” he said. “If there was going to be cloud cover, they were going to affect the demolition. There was a potential there to cause damage to windows. But it was a relatively clear night, which means the pressure would dissipate quickly.”

Before the blast, agency spokeswoman Jodi Hodges had said: “There may be some small explosives, but we’re not advertising that to the world. It’s very controlled and very minor. We’ve certainly talked with all the local fire department and police and all that, but mostly it’s just demolishing that bridge and hauling off the debris.”

The bridge demolition is one of two projects that may have downtown-area motorists feeling a bit hemmed in these days.

On the west side of downtown, Forest Park Boulevard will be closed for up to nine more at West Seventh Street as workers begin digging column shafts for the planned new West Seventh Street bridge.
Some of the early work involves digging shafts for the new bridge columns -- an effort that requires heavy machinery on or near Forest Park. The road could be closed through March 27 and again April 3-12.
Motorists are urged to find alternate routes between downtown and neighborhoods such as Berkeley Place, but those who stay on Forest Park will be detoured to West Fifth Street, West 10th Street and Penn Street.
On Weatherford Street, the demolition now allows crews to complete construction of the new Weatherford Street bridge by the fall, officials said. The project includes reconstruction of the bridge itself, approaches, a new southbound exit ramp to I-35W, an extended deceleration lane, retaining walls and better drainage and lighting.

Would you support a state constitutional amendment that would allow lawmakers to tap into the rainy day fund perhaps to the tune of $1 billion to help pay for transportation projects? The Star-Telegram's man in Austin, Dave Montgomery, filed a story this morning that outlined that possibility. Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst explained the proposal after lawmakers signed off on a proposed two-year budget for Texas. Supporters of this idea like it because it would provide sorely-needed relief for the state, which is trying to build roads quick enough to keep up with incredible population growth. But the relief likely would come in the form of state infrastructure bank loans to local governments, which means it's not necessarily new dollars we're talking about here. Would Texas voters even approve this measure at the polls?

March 13, 2013

Forest Park Boulevard is something of a well-kept secret for those wishing to get to downtown Fort Worth, especially people who live in the Mistletoe Heights and Berkeley Place areas that have been cut off from Interstate 30 by the ongoing Chisholm Trail Parkway construction.
But those motorists will have to find other options over the next several weeks, because Forest Park Boulevard itself is about to become a work zone.

Weather permitting, Forest Park Boulevard will be closed for about 10 days beginning Monday (March 18) at the West Seventh Street bridge. Crews expect to keep the road closed through March 27, so they can dig shafts for the new West Seventh Street bridge columns.
The road will also likely be closed again April 3-12 for the bridge work, said Texas Department of Transportation spokesman Val Lopez.

Motorists can still use Forest Park Boulevard to navigate around the west side of downtown, but they’ll have to take a detour. Northbound traffic will be diverted to eastbound West 10th Street, then Penn Street, West Fifth Street and back onto Forest Park Boulevard.
Southbound traffic will be detoured to eastbound West Fifth Street, Penn Street, West 10th Street and back onto Forest Park Boulevard.

The 100-year-old West Seventh Street bridge is being replaced after years of neglect. The new bridge will be built during the summer and will feature six pair of lighted arches – a look that many believe will change the city’s skyline and its image.

ARLINGTON - Driving between Arlington and Dallas will be just a tad trickier for motorists during the next couple of nights.

The southbound Texas 360 ramp to eastbound Interstate 20 will be closed Wednesday and Thursday night beginning at 8 p.m. for bridge maintenance. The Cummins Street bridge that crosses over Texas 360 also will be closed.

The work will be completed by 5 a.m. Friday.

A detour will be posted urging motorists to take South Collins Street to I-20. But drivers are urged to seek alternate routes.